Improvement in railway-car couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT GEEIGE.

JAMES TEMPLE, OF BELLEFONTE, ASSIGNOR TO L. O. KINYON, OF WILLIAMS-PORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-CAR COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,196, datedSeptember 19, 1.871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES TEMPLE, of Bellefonte, Centre county, in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Car-Coupling; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full and correct description of thesame, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1is a top view of my improvement in couplings. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical central section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4L representcoupling-bolts or links.

The same part is marked by the same lette wherever it occurs. i

This invention consists in an improvement on the coupling patented by meApril 1l, 1870, by vdispensing with some of the parts and simplifyingthe construction and operation, my present coupling being made up of anopen draw-head with a drop-plate for operating the link or coupling-bolt, in the manner hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, A marks the face-plate of the draw-head,which is open at top, the two upper extremities bein g connected by theyoke C. The frame consists ofthe side pieces B and a transverse endpiece at the rear. The frame is open at bottom, and between the sidepieces B B is hinged, at d, the drop-plate D, the forward end of whichis narrowed into a tongue, which enters between the guiding-jaws a aattached to the rear of the face-plate A. The drop-plate D issupportedbelow by a transverse metallic plate, M, and is raised byangle-plate, Gr, the lower end of which passes under it, while the upperend is bent outward to form a handle, by which the plate can be raisedor lowered at will. This handle may be operated directly by thebrakesman or by means of a cord or chain led up to the platform or roofof the car. I employ either the double-headed bolt L as a coupling-link,or, if preferred, the looped bolt L, shown in Fig. 4. In the latter casethe pin P (see Fig.` 1) is passed 'through holes h in the side pieces BB of the frame as well as through the loop at the bolt L.-

The operation is as follows: Then it is desired to couple two cars thelink is set upon one end, inthe position shown in dotted lines in Fig.2, its upper end resting against the rear angle of the yoke C and itslower end supported by the forward end of the drop-plate D. When thedraw-heads strike together the momentum of the link carries it over tillit falls between the jaws a a of the opposite draw-head. To uncouple,the drop-plate is drawn up by a quick motion, which throws one end ofthe link up out of the jaws a a and into the opening of the oppositedraw-head, where it assumes the position shown by dotted lines in Fig.2.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, 1s-' The combination and arrangement of theopen face-plate A, guiding-jaws a a, yoke (l, drop-plate D, and bentraisin g-plate G with a link or couplin g-bolt, in the manner and forthe purpose specied.

Y The above specification of my said invention signed and witnessed atLockhaven this 19th day of April, A. D. 1871.

JAMES TEMPLE.

Witnesses L. B. HYATT, ORRIN T. NOBLE.

